Can Trevor Story‘s return help the Sox with a playoff push? Since returning to the Red Sox lineup on August 8th, Trevor Story has been sizzling at the plate.
Just in Time for a Playoff Push, Trevor Story Returns
In six games played, Story has seven hits in 22 plate appearances. He still needs to get a home run or an RBI. This is more telling of the Red Sox hitters in front of him than it is about Story. The Story cannot drive in any runs if players cannot get on base.
What Has to Happen for Story to Help the Sox
Other players need to get hot as well. The hope for the Red Sox and their fans is that Story’s plate production, thus far, will rub off on his teammates. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.
Is it too Late?
There is still a lot of baseball to be played. The Sox sits three games out of the final playoff spot behind the Toronto Blue Jays. The story will need assistance from his teammates. While batting .318 is impressive, it does not mean much if there is not anyone on base to score runs.
How to Optimize Story for a Playoff Push
Since his return, Story has batted as high as third in the order and as low as sixth. As it appears, batting Story lower would potentially optimize the Red Sox’s opportunities for him to drive in runs. She is batting him third or fourth presents the problem of only having two to three options for runners in front of him to get on base. Whether Alex Cora considers this notion remains to be seen. The other variable that remains unclear is if Story can continue to swing a hot bat.
If Not Story, Then Who?
Hypothetically, if Story suddenly goes ice cold at the plate, someone else will obviously need to step up for the Red Sox. Three veterans that need to either continue, or get back to playing to their optimal level, include Justin Turner, Rafael Devers, and Adam Duvall. The hope is that Story can remain hot and have his teammates begin to do the same. With 43 games to go, as of this writing, it will be interesting to see what happens with Story, especially at the plate. The hope is Story can come up big in the clutch. Hopefully, he can do that with the money the Red Sox are paying him.
Takeaway
With under 50 games remaining in the season, Trevor Story has returned to the Red Sox for the first time this season. He has started white-hot in his first six games. The question that remains to be answered is whether or not Story can maintain his current status, to help propel the Red Sox into the final playoff spot in the AL. Watching Story and the Sox make a playoff push will not only be an exciting and a nail-biting experience for fans but may be one of the best storylines this season.
Main Photo Credits: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
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